Sonia Chahal

I am a Bay Area native and raised in Hayward, to working class immigrant parents. I earned my Bachelors at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 2013, and went on to earn my MBA at Cal State East Bay in 2023. I was a non-traditional student for both my undergrad and graduate programs; working full time while taking a full course load. As a first gen college grad, I understand the difficulty in navigating unfamiliar systems, processes, and policies. Navigating that uncharted territory on my own led me to pursue a career in higher education. My goal is to remove barriers within the operational structure.  I’ve worked for the University of California system for more than a decade, in a variety of roles and across 2 campuses. I lead my professional and personal life in the spirit of continuous improvement; with no change being too small. I am dedicated to driving holistic success through effective collaboration and forward-thinking strategies.  

In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and baking up new recipes (my current obsession is focaccia), playing with my cat Salem (yes, she is a black cat), reminiscing on my recently departed senior dog, Lilo, taking walks along the SF Bay trail, and enjoying a mystery novel with good iced coffee in hand.